A study found that cannabidiol (CBD) improved the overall health of estrogen-deficient mice. The findings published in Frontiers in Pharmacology indicated that CBD improved glucose processing and bone density of mice. The animal model also indicated CBD reduced gut inflammation and increased levels of beneficial gut bacteria. An increasing number of women have anecdotally reported that taking CBD alleviates problems associated with menopause, but this is the first study to examine the cannabis compound’s effects in an established preclinical model of postmenopause.
The researchers fed the estrogen-deficient mice either CBD-infused peanut butter balls or peanut butter balls without CBD over 18 weeks. The untreated estrogen-deficient mice developed symptoms similar to those of postmenopausal human females; they demonstrated metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, lower bone density, and lower levels of beneficial gut bacteria. In contrast, mice that consumed CBD experienced improvement of these same conditions. The study concluded that CBD treatment positively impacts the immune system and the gut microbiota to improve energy metabolism and bone homeostasis. CBD impacts a gut-bone axis that alleviates several chronic postmenopause symptoms.
The postmenopausal stage is defined as one year after the final menstruation, which commonly occurs around age 51 among American women. A dramatic decline in estrogen levels after menopause can often lead to a host of health concerns. These conditions include weight gain, cardiometabolic disease, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal disorders and cognitive decline. Lower estrogen in mice is associated with fatigue or reduced energy. Hormone replacement therapy’s risks and benefits of HRT vary and depend on age, individual health status, dose, and type of HRT. HRT poses greater risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots and cancer for women over 60, so developing alternative therapeutic options like cannabinoid treatment is critical.
Sources:
Eureka News Alert , Frontiers in Pharmacology, Rutgers University News
